Natan Brand plays Schumann's Kreisleriana live in 1983

A 1983 concert performance of Schumann's Kreisleriana by the fiery Israeli-American pianist Natan Brand. Brand's enormous yet rich tone, expansive phrasing, devil-may-care emotional expressiveness, and richly textured voicing bring out the varied and challenging complexities in this work.

[@jackatherton0111]

Great surges of interwoven lines amid heartbreaking intimacy. One of the great Kreislerianas, at least the equal of Hofmann and Horowitz. For another great performance from a legend who thankfully lived much longer than Natan Brand did, find the posting of Konstantin Igumnov. And thanks so much for this.

[@marikosato9526]

I think of Natan every time I played the piano. He still sits right next to me. I can not thank Natan enough for giving me the intense joy of playing the piano. Natan lives forever!! His son Ari has the same level of talent as his father as an actor/scriptwriter.

[@guadalajara4848]

Fantastic : polyphony not only of lines, but of textures, of moods

[@lucas__machado]

Powerful, rich, individual yet natural. Pianism at its finest

[@ADGO]

I always return to this performance. It's my favourite Kreisleriana by one of my favourite pianists. The sheer emotional and dynamic range here -- just incredible. The Palexa set was one of my true treasures in the noughties. Thanks for keeping this up.

[@krystianbelliere]

Wonderful, passionate playing. Came across this almost by accident. A pianist of whom I'd never heard.

[@atlantargh]

Summer of 1974, when my regular teacher was not available, I had a few lessons with NB at his apt on the east side. I recall he showed me his collection of Rubinstein LPs, whom he was a great admirer of. A couple more lessons in 1978, I believe, when he was married and living closer to Greenwich Village. Very nice person. Saddened when he passed.

[@magbag70]

After being bewitched by the Horowitz's studio recording of the 60s, i was worried i could hardly find other interesting recording. I'm happy to see that it is possible. This interpretation is indeed important and interesting. I prefer the ghostly ending of VH's recording but there are very nice ideas and vocings in Brand's playing that makes this live very exciting.

[@pianomasters3752]

Kreisleriana, Op. 16 00:00 1. Äußerst bewegt 02:53 2. Sehr innig und nicht zu rasch 11:20 3. Sehr aufgeregt 14:54 4. Sehr langsam 18:27 5. Sehr lebhaft 21:33 6. Sehr langsam 25:45 7. Sehr rasch 27:49 8. Schnell und spielend

[@Sofronichrist]

Natan Brand was a truly great interpreter of Schumann, and his symphonic etudes attest to this as well as these Kreisleriana. Thank you very much for rediscovering the recordings of this great forgotten pianist.

[@ThePianoFiles]

So glad you like - and... some unpublished recordings with items new to his discography are coming very soon! Stay tuned!

[@pianomasters3752]

A unique singing tone, a masterful counterpoint and what a sense of continuity ! He really was a great musician, it seems incomprehensible to me that this recordings has so few views... Thanks for sharing this priceless document :-)

[@pianomaly9]

The most individual Kreisleriana I've ever heard, and we can see below that it has provoked both rapturous admiration and flat-out rejection, similar to what one gets with Ervin Nyiregyhazi. Brand has brought to the foreground many of the "voices" that inhabited Schumann's inner world, that get relegated to an anonymous background in many performances, as fine as the roll call of names going back to the Golden Age and later, that have left us renditions of this enigmatic work. The mocking spectres scamper off into the night in the final number, leaving us in bewilderment.

[@garfreed]

I rarely get emotional listening to music, but Brand's playing is truly over the top!!

[@joseagustincandisano6153]

Thank you for sharing so many unknown treasures!!!!

[@charleso8341]

I am moved listening to him tell a story with his very hands, and the themes given to him by Schumann's composition are not borrowed in the usual pyrotechnical style of accomplished pianists, but rather internalized and ultimately transcended as an organic result of deep and present conscious thought. I can feel him energetically, and even some of his personal pain in this performance, which takes us directly to the source of it, Schumann himself.

[@EdwarddeVere1550]

This is the closest to Alfred Cortot in spiritual penetration and insight capturing the Florestan and Eusebius elements.

[@aggervej]

Can't believe I never ran into this till now. I thought the 60s Horowitz version was the one and only; but this has some of the same beauty, coherency, and ideas in a different way. He makes the piano sing. Makes me wonder how the mind of the creator of this fantastic music was? There must have been many moments of real silence and time for deep thoughts by then...

[@fredwanger9337]

What a great joy to learn of this magnificent musician who, like others in his rarefied sphere, left us far too early. It's as if he were channelling Schumann.

[@MrInterestingthings]

Many of us grew up hearing Hofmann, Horowitz and then Argerich in this . Lupu the great classicist and Pollini another "catholic" performance should not in Schumann style brings those qualities to this music so I rarely go back to them like i do Argerich ,Pletnev and Hofmann . I think I heard Perahia in this and it was unforgetable .Uchida and Pires have given us so little Schumann want t find their takes in this . This is a passionate ,fiery performance full of heart's logic . and unforgetable lyricism big-hearted . Yuja Wang in a televised live perfoemance willalways be my fave . This is very special , wonderful , brilliant voicings and pedalings . When he returns to 2nd piece at tenth miute his textures of this very familiar music took me to another dimension . What great ideas he has here ! Love to hear him in the Fantasie and sonatas .The next section had a plethora voices that took my breath away ! Will be looking to hear everything this American Pogorelich was ever taped in ! Stupendous !

[@НадеждаХрамова-в7ц]

Новое и прекрасное, я не знала этого пианиста. Большое спасибо за предоставленную возможность услышать это чудо

[@beth_levin_piano]

Exquisite!

[@isaacthrpenquinez1098]

A performance that is separate from the world's being, truly possesses your consciousness into a trance-like state. Up there with Géza Anda's DG 1966 which is slightly more rigid and conservative than this one, but I consider them both my favorite.

[@ThePianoFiles]

Thanks!! Dunno how I missed that... fixed! And agreed - a most unique and quite unsurpassable performance!

[@guadalajara4848]

When I hear this, I hear death, and youth, and sun

[@58flixbu]

Amazing version of these masterpieces! Brand's approach is bold and very sensitive at the same time, and there are many delicious surprises. I just think that the octaves of the l.h. shouldn't be so violent in certain passages, but that's nothing more than a minor remark about a great performance....

[@chrissimpson8738]

So peaceful and lovely like the full moon on a calm summer night 🌙

[@Riverification]

superb

[@marian444]

Very good playing !

[@JPS1827]

Magnifique

[@carolinavarady4652]

I have been trying to buy the music and I cannot find it anywhere. It is extraordinary Thank you

[@micaelabonetti949]

My heart shakes. Terrifying playing...

[@davidvaughan3989]

very compelling performance. those who love this work should listen to youri egorov's version- especially the sehr rasch movement- it is, to my mind and heart, mind- boggling.

[@dorfmanjones]

Perhaps you might edit the text so that the name of the composition is spelled right, ie. with an 's.' It might make it easier to stumble on for people just looking for a Kreisleriana. No one should miss this performance; no one will play it like this again.

[@usuga1]

18:25

[@ThePianoFiles]

Isn't it though...

[@germancardoso3587]

GREAT PIANIST HE WAS, PITY HE DIED SO YOUNG !!!!!!

[@GarthAstrology]

Mark, did Natan Brand commit suicide?

[@ThePianoFiles]

He died of AIDS-related complications (though it was initially said that he'd died of cancer)

[@kellycraft8755]

Nope, not nearly as good as Vladimir!

[@prundonmcavoy7155]

Kelly Craftless!

[@dorfmanjones]

Better and more original than VH. Especially the opening minutes. VH always struggled with the opening (except in the Columbia studio.)

[@Robert-vj6fg]

Way too much pedal. Full of sudden starts and stops, that's not good rubato. This guy is a artistic bonehead wannabe

[@dorfmanjones]

Gee. Guess it's not for you.

[@Wkkbooks]

You play an electric keyboard, right?

[@lorenzopone869]

Show us how better you can do, and how sensual, how deep your version can be.